Summary & Goals

So how is my training going overall?

Nutrition: I'm eating better than I had been. MUCH better than when I was in school. I'm eating more fruits and veggies and less junk food and prepared foods. I'm trying to stick to something closer to a Paleo diet. When I say diet I mean method of eating, not method of losing weight. Eating healthier is something I see as an important lifestyle issue.  I'm also drinking less soda and juice; instead having water, tea (one sugar) and fat-free milk (with some occasional sugar-free Hershey's syrup).

Training: Physically it's been going pretty well, though the spill I took on my bike (while going to the grocery store, not training) the other day has slowed me down some.  I wnated to swim tonight but the pool was very crowded. Since this is a recovery week, I didn't sweat it.

Mental: The training hasn't worn me down mentally.  I think the variety of running, swimming and biking has helped a lot. The Saturday group bike rides and Tuesday Night Track Workouts have helped a lot as well. Having a community to relate to has been very helpful as well.

Positive Thought of the Day: “If you believe you can do something or believe you
can’t, you’re probably right.” – Henry Ford

Roger Bannister, breaker of the 4:00 mile,
would certainly agree. 

I’ve been thinking about my Half-IM
goal… certainly, my first goal is to finish and finish in good health. But what do I think I can do for a finish time? I’ve been thinking
a lot about this and I’ve got a couple thoughts on the matter. 

The Swim – 1.2miles: I know I can
finish in under an hour. I know, not an auspicious time, but I’ll be
breast-stroking most if not the whole swim. While a 45 minute time isn’t
out of the question, I’m not going to count on it. If it happens,
that’s time in the bank for later. 

The Run – 13.1miles: I feel
confident I can do this in less than 2 hours, this is based on past half
marathon times and my pace on brick runs after long bike rides. 

The Transitions: The first transition is
something of a mystery because I haven’t worn a wetsuit before and I won’t
know what to expect until I get a chance to practice with that. Transition 2 should be fast. I’ll be running in the same jersey and
shorts, it will just be a matter of getting my shoes changed and I know I can
get out of my bike shoes quick. 

The Bike – 56miles: The big
question is the bike. Four hours is certainly attainable. Three hours
would probably be pushing it.  3.5 is probably what I’ll be looking
at… there’s a temptation to push it and shoot for 3… and I
would if there wasn’t the small matter of running a half-marathon after I
finish the bike. That said, if my training progresses and it looks like a
3 hour bike is doable… ~6 hours for my first Half-IM is, to me, a
heck of an exciting start. Even 7 hours is no bad thing.

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